Forecast

8 die at Florida nursing home in Irma's sweltering aftermath

By TIM REYNOLDS and TERRY SPENCER, Associated Press| on September 13, 2017

Drone footage over the Middle Keys, near Big Pine Key, Florida showed the extent of destruction on the ground after Hurricane Irma. (Sept. 12)

Media: Associated Press

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) — Eight patients at a sweltering nursing home died after Hurricane Irma knocked out the air conditioning, raising fears Wednesday about the safety of Florida's 4 million senior citizens amid power outages that could last for days.

Hollywood Police Chief Tom Sanchez said investigators believe the deaths at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills were heat-related, and added: "The building has been sealed off and we are conducting a criminal investigation."

Gov. Rick Scott called on Florida emergency workers to immediately check on all nursing homes to make sure patients are safe, and he vowed to punish anyone found culpable in the deaths.

"This situation is unfathomable," he said.

The home said in a statement that the hurricane had knocked out a transformer that powered the AC.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Swipe through to see photos of the path of destruction left by Hurricane Irma in Florida and the Caribbean.

Swipe through to see photos of the path of destruction left by Hurricane Irma in Florida and the Caribbean.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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A car is seen in a flooded street as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A car is seen in a flooded street as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with

A person walks through a flooded street in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A person walks through a flooded street in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4

A truck is seen on its side after being blown over as Hurricane Irma passed through on Seot, 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma, which first made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, has weakened to a Category 2 as it moves up the coast.

A truck is seen on its side after being blown over as Hurricane Irma passed through on Seot, 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma, which first made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on

A flooded street is seen in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A flooded street is seen in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday,

A flooded street is seen in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A flooded street is seen in the Brickell area of downtown as Hurricane Irma passes through on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday,

A boat is washed on shore at the Watson Island marina as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma, which first made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, has weakened to a Category 2 as it moves up the coast.

A boat is washed on shore at the Watson Island marina as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. Hurricane Irma, which first made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4

A street sign for Commercial Boulevard toppled by tropical storm-strength winds lays next to a fallen palm tree as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state Sept. 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba.

A street sign for Commercial Boulevard toppled by tropical storm-strength winds lays next to a fallen palm tree as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state Sept. 10, 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A pick up truck evacuates prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma Sept. 10, 2017 in the fishing town of Apalachicola, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A pick up truck evacuates prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma Sept. 10, 2017 in the fishing town of Apalachicola, Florida. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday,

A fallen tree is slammed atop a car on Sept. 10, 2017 in a flooded neighborhood of Miami, Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma's eyewall slammed into the lower Florida Keys, lashing the island chain with fearsome wind gusts, the US National Hurricane Center said.

A fallen tree is slammed atop a car on Sept. 10, 2017 in a flooded neighborhood of Miami, Florida in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Hurricane Irma's eyewall slammed into the lower Florida Keys, lashing the

A vehicle passes downed palm trees and two cyclists attempt to ride as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is taking a direct hit by the Hurricane which made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm on Sunday, lashing the state with 130 mph winds as it moves up the coast.

A vehicle passes downed palm trees and two cyclists attempt to ride as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is taking a direct hit by the Hurricane which

Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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A construction crane is damaged from the wind caused by Hurricane Irma, in Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

A construction crane is damaged from the wind caused by Hurricane Irma, in Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Peter Moodley wades through floodwater caused by the storm surge to assess the damage for himself, as the full effect of Hurricane Irma struck Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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Two men walk through a downed tree as Hurricane Irma's full force strikes in Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Two men walk through a downed tree as Hurricane Irma's full force strikes in Miami, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017.

Photo: Marcus Yam/LA Times Via Getty Images

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Trees blow in the wind as seen at the Miami-Dade County Emergency Operations Center as Hurricane Irma brings rain and high winds on Sunday Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, FL.

Trees blow in the wind as seen at the Miami-Dade County Emergency Operations Center as Hurricane Irma brings rain and high winds on Sunday Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, FL.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Cubans recover their belongings after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017. Residents of Cuba's historic capital Havana were waist-deep in floodwaters after Hurricane Irma, on its way to Florida, swept by, cutting off power and forcing the evacuation of more than a million people.

Cubans recover their belongings after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017. Residents of Cuba's historic capital Havana were waist-deep in floodwaters after

View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017. Residents of Cuba's historic capital Havana were waist-deep in floodwaters after Hurricane Irma, on its way to Florida, swept by, cutting off power and forcing the evacuation of more than a million people.

View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017. Residents of Cuba's historic capital Havana were waist-deep in floodwaters after Hurricane Irma, on its

A canal is sen near downtown Ft. Lauderdale FL Sept. 10, 2017 as Hurricane Irma's wind and rain take effect.

A canal is sen near downtown Ft. Lauderdale FL Sept. 10, 2017 as Hurricane Irma's wind and rain take effect.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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In this NOAA-NASA GOES Project handout image, GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (R) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 05:30 UTC on Sept. 11, 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area.

In this NOAA-NASA GOES Project handout image, GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (R) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 05:30 UTC on Sept. 11,

An area near the city's seaport near downtown Ft. Lauderdale FL is seen Sept. 10, 2017 as Hurricane Irma's wind and rain take effect.

An area near the city's seaport near downtown Ft. Lauderdale FL is seen Sept. 10, 2017 as Hurricane Irma's wind and rain take effect.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Cory and his daughter Corrie Salmon walk out onto Vanderbilt Beach as Hurricane Irma sucks the tide out and arrives in Naples, Fla. on Sunday, Sept 10, 2017.

Cory and his daughter Corrie Salmon walk out onto Vanderbilt Beach as Hurricane Irma sucks the tide out and arrives in Naples, Fla. on Sunday, Sept 10, 2017.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Many streets in the Bonita Springs area were flooded by mid-morning on Sunday. - A Sunday morning tour of the area around Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida revealed winds and rain that were beginning to be strengthened to Hurricane force quality.

Many streets in the Bonita Springs area were flooded by mid-morning on Sunday. - A Sunday morning tour of the area around Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida revealed winds and rain that were beginning to be

A homeowner in Bonita Springs makes a plea to Hurricane Irma. -A Sunday morning tour of the area around Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida revealed winds and rain that were beginning to be strengthened to Hurricane force quality.

A homeowner in Bonita Springs makes a plea to Hurricane Irma. -A Sunday morning tour of the area around Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida revealed winds and rain that were beginning to be strengthened to

Flood waters and storm damage are seen at Palm Lake RV Resort as Hurricane Irma works its way up the west Florida coast in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Sunday, Sept 10, 2017.

Flood waters and storm damage are seen at Palm Lake RV Resort as Hurricane Irma works its way up the west Florida coast in Bonita Springs, Fla. on Sunday, Sept 10, 2017.

Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

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A Subway sandwich shop sign is submerged (foreground) and a Publix grocery story sign is badly damaged in Estero, Florida after Hurricane Irma came through with the lead band of strength (photo taken during a lull as the eye had just passed). -A Sunday tour of the area around Bonita Springs and Estero, Florida revealed that winds and rain from Hurricane Irma did some some flooding and property damage. Photos were taken during a lull in the harsh wind as the eye passed over.

A Subway sandwich shop sign is submerged (foreground) and a Publix grocery story sign is badly damaged in Estero, Florida after Hurricane Irma came through with the lead band of strength (photo taken during a

A sign the Pena family put in a tree at the entrance of the Hills of Santa Fe neighborhood, in Gainesville, Tuesday Sept. 12, 2017. During Hurricane Irma water from the Meadowbrook Golf Course rushed over a hill behind the Pena's home and flooded the home with about six feet of water. After Hurricane Irma hit Gainesville, flooded homes and streets seem to be some of the biggest problems residents are dealing with. (Brad McClenny/The Gainsville Sun via AP) less

A sign the Pena family put in a tree at the entrance of the Hills of Santa Fe neighborhood, in Gainesville, Tuesday Sept. 12, 2017. During Hurricane Irma water from the Meadowbrook Golf Course rushed over a ... more

Photo: Brad McClenny, AP

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A worker is silhouetted against the setting sun as he works on a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Marco Island, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. Florida officials say crews are restoring power across the state, but 9.5 million people remain without electricity. State Emergency Management Center officials say they restored power to 1.7 million homes and businesses on Tuesday. less

A worker is silhouetted against the setting sun as he works on a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Marco Island, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. Florida officials say crews are restoring power ... more

Photo: David Goldman, AP

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Boats blown away from their docks sit in the marsh after Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at St. Marys on the Georgia coast. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Boats blown away from their docks sit in the marsh after Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, at St. Marys on the Georgia coast. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Photo: Curtis Compton, AP

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The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Patients were evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Patients were evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, AP

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Customers wait in line to buy generators as many residents are still without power three days after Hurricane Irma passed through in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017.

Customers wait in line to buy generators as many residents are still without power three days after Hurricane Irma passed through in Fort Myers, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017.

Photo: David Goldman, AP

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A woman is transported from The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills as patients are evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 in Hollywood, Fla. Several patients at the sweltering nursing home died in Hurricane Irma's aftermath, authorities said Wednesday. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) less

A woman is transported from The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills as patients are evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017 in Hollywood, Fla. Several ... more

Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, AP

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Hollywood Police chief Tomas Sanchez and Hollywood, Fla., Director of Public Affairs Raelin Storey, right, answer questions outside the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Hollywood, Fla. Several patients at the sweltering nursing home died in Hurricane Irma's aftermath, raising fears Wednesday about the safety of Florida's 4 million senior citizens amid widespread power outages that could go on for days. (John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) less

Police surround the Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood Hills, Fla., which had no air conditioning after Hurricane Irma knocked out power, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Several patients at the sweltering nursing home died in Hurricane Irma's aftermath, raising fears Wednesday about the safety of Florida's 4 million senior citizens amid widespread power outages that could go on for days. (John McCall/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) less

Police surround the Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood Hills, Fla., which had no air conditioning after Hurricane Irma knocked out power, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Several patients at the sweltering nursing ... more

Photo: John McCall, AP

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Staff members at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and firefighters from Fort Walton Beach Fire Department load Hurricane Irma evacuees, who had stayed at Westwood since last Saturday, onto a bus on Wednesday Sept. 13, 2017 to head back to the their facility in Mayo, Fla. (Nick Tomecek/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP) less

Staff members at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and firefighters from Fort Walton Beach Fire Department load Hurricane Irma evacuees, who had stayed at Westwood since ... more

Military personnel load water and supplies into helicopters for distribution at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Marathon, Fla.

Military personnel load water and supplies into helicopters for distribution at the Florida Keys Marathon Airport, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Marathon, Fla.

Photo: Wilfredo Lee, AP

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The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills as patients are evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills as patients are evacuated after a loss of air conditioning due to Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, AP

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8 die at Florida nursing home in Irma's sweltering aftermath

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The five women and three men ranged in age from the 70s to 99.

Exactly how the deaths happened was under investigation, with Sanchez saying authorities have not ruled anything out, including carbon monoxide poisoning from generators. He also said investigators will look into how many windows were open.

Across the street from the stifling nursing home sat a fully air-conditioned hospital, Memorial Regional.

Broward County said the nursing home had alerted the county emergency operations center on Tuesday that it had lost power, but when asked if it had any medical needs or emergencies, it did not request help.

"It's a sad state of affairs," the police chief said. "We all have elderly people in facilities, and we all know we depend on those people in those facilities to care for a vulnerable elderly population."

The deaths came as people trying to put their lives back together in hurricane-stricken Florida and beyond confronted a multitude of new hazards in the storm's aftermath, including tree-clearing accidents and lethal generator fumes.

Not counting the nursing home deaths, at least 17 people in Florida have died under Irma-related circumstances, and six more in South Carolina and Georgia, many of them well after the storm had passed. The death toll across the Caribbean stood at 38.

At least six people died of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning from generators in Florida. A Tampa man died after the chain saw he was using to remove trees recoiled and cut his carotid artery.

In Hollywood, four patients were found dead at the nursing home early Wednesday after emergency workers received a call about a person with a heart attack, and four more died later at the hospital, authorities said.

Altogether, more than 100 patients there were found to be suffering in the heat and were evacuated, many on stretchers or in wheelchairs. Patients were treated for dehydration, breathing difficulties and other heat-related ills, authorities said.

Nursing homes in Florida are required by state and federal law to file an emergency plan that includes evacuation plans for residents. County officials released documents showing that the Hollywood facility was in compliance with that regulation and that it held a hurricane drill with its staff in October.

Calls to the owner and other officials at the Hollywood home were not immediately returned, but the facility's administrator, Jorge Caballo, said in a statement that it was "cooperating fully with relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to this unfortunate and tragic outcome."

Through a representative, Carballo told the SunSentinel newspaper that the home has a back-up generator but that it does not power the air conditioning.

The nursing home was bought at a bankruptcy auction two years ago after its previous owner went to prison for Medicare fraud, according to news reports at the time of the sale.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates nursing homes, gives the Hollywood center a below-average rating, two stars on its five-star scale. But the most recent state inspection reports showed no deficiencies in the area of emergency plans.

Broward County Medical Examiner Dr. Craig Mallak said after receiving some of the bodies for autopsies that the victims had been in poor health, and "it's going to be tough to tell how much was the heat and how much of it was they were sick already."

Florida, long one of America's top retirement destinations, has the highest proportion of people 65 and older of any state — 1 in 5 of its 20 million residents. As of 2016, Florida had about 680 nursing homes.

The number of people without electricity in the steamy late-summer heat was down to 6.8 million. Utility officials warned it could take over a week for power to be fully restored. The number of people in shelters fell to under 13,000.

Elsewhere around the state, a Coral Gables apartment building was evacuated after authorities determined a lack of power made it unsafe for elderly tenants.

And at the huge, 15,000-resident Century Village retirement community in Pembroke Pines, more than half the residential buildings had no power Wednesday afternoon. Rescue crews went door to door in the 94-degree heat to check on people and hand out water, ice and meals.

"These people are basically prisoners in their own homes," said Pembroke Pines City Manager Charlie Dodge. "That's why we are camped out there and doing whatever we can to assist them in this process. And we're not leaving."

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson called the six deaths in Hollywood "an inexcusable tragedy" and demanded a federal investigation.

"We need to make sure we're doing everything we can to keep our seniors safe during this difficult time," he said.

In the battered Florida Keys, meanwhile, county officials pushed back against a preliminary estimate from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that 25 percent of all homes in the Keys were destroyed and nearly all the rest were heavily damaged.

"Things look real damaged from the air, but when you clear the trees and all the debris, it's not much damage to the houses," said Monroe County Commissioner Heather Carruthers.

The Keys felt Irma's full fury when the hurricane roared in on Sunday with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. But the extent of the damage has been an unanswered question for days because some places have been unreachable.

At the Hollywood nursing home, Jean Lindor, a kitchen worker, said through a Haitian Creole translator that the air conditioner had not been working since the storm and it had been hot inside.

Paulburn Bogle, a member of the housekeeping staff, said the place had been hot but manageable the past few days. The staff used fans, put cold towels and ice on patients and gave them cold drinks, he said.

Flora Mitchell arrived at the home trying to learn the fate of her 58-year-old sister, a stroke patient. She said she last heard from her sister two days earlier and learned the air conditioning was not working.

"We need to know what happened to her," she said. "They haven't told us anything."